Italy garbage dips with virus lockdowns, but plastics rise

August 16, 2020

ROME (AP) — Italy produced 10% less garbage during its coronavirus lockdown, but environmentalists warn that increased reliance on disposable masks and packaging is imperiling efforts to curb single-use plastics that end up in oceans and seas.

Italian researchers estimate that during the peak months of Italy’s lockdown in March and April, urban waste production fell by 500,000 tons. That decrease is enabling dumps in Italy — where trash collection in major cities has often become a hot-button political issue — to absorb the 300,000 tons of extra waste from protective masks and gloves estimated to be used this year, according to the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research.

“Substantially, the figures will balance each other by the end of this year,” Valeria Frittelloni, the institute’s head of waste management and circular economy, told The Associated Press. But the pandemic dealt a blow to efforts to move away from single-use plastics in many places where they were just beginning to become mainstream. U.N., Greenpeace, Italy’s Marevivo environmental organization and other such groups are warning that continued reliance on single-use plastics will pose longer-term risks to the environment.

That’s particularly true for a country with a long coastline along the Mediterranean Sea, which is plagued by the tiny bits of broken-down plastic known as microplastics. “We don’t have an estimate yet of how much of those objects were dumped in the environment, but what is sure is that all those that have been abandoned sooner or later will reach the sea,” said Giuseppe Ungherese, head of anti-pollution campaigns at Greenpeace Italy.

After years of reducing reliance on products like plastic bags and cutlery, in line with European Union directives, Italy saw a huge spike in plastic use during the coronavirus emergency. The Italian National Consortium for the Collection and Recycling of Plastic Packages said the increase in online shopping and its related packaging led to an 8% increase in plastic waste, even within an overall decrease in garbage production.

Keiron Roberts, an environmental research fellow at the University of Portsmouth in England, said other countries saw similar demand for plastics and cardboard as a result of the so-called Amazon effect — referring to a surge in reliance on the internet retailer as people holed up to abide by stay-at-home orders. But he concurred that within Europe, Italy was in a particularly vulnerable spot.

“Because you are surrounded by coastline, you just need to have some rain events that will wash these masks into the sewage system or into the rivers and the waterways and they will eventually make their ways into the ocean,” he said.

“There’s no area of the Mediterranean now where plastic hasn’t impacted,” he added. Italy’s National Center for Research reported in 2018 that the presence of microplastics on surface seawater off Italy’s coasts was comparable to levels found in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, the collection of ocean debris that spans part of that ocean.

Globally, the U.N. Environment Program has warned that the increased use of single-use plastics in protective equipment could lead to uncontrolled dumping and add to marine pollution, and it has urged countries to develop adequate disposal plans. The U.N. Trade body, UNCTAD, estimates that worldwide global sales of face masks alone will reach $166 billion this year, up from $800 million in 2019.

Even before the COVID-19 crisis, only a quarter of Italy’s waste was recycled, with an estimated 53 kilotons of plastics leaking into the Mediterranean each year, according to the environmental group WWF.

“Plastics and global warming are the main threats, and we need to act now to prevent our planet and sea from transforming into a hostile and unlivable environment,” said Greenpeace’s Ungherese.

Turkey, Greece stick to their guns in escalating Med dispute

August 26, 2020

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey and Greece both vowed Wednesday to defend their competing claims in the eastern Mediterranean as the neighbors and NATO allies remained locked in a tense dispute over offshore energy exploration rights.

Greece announced plans to extend its territorial waters along its western coastline — which does not face Turkey — and held a second day of military exercises in waters where Ankara is challenging Athens' asserted maritime jurisdiction.

To the alarm of western allies, both countries sent warships to shadow each other this month in an area between Crete and Cyprus where Turkey has a vessel prospecting for potential gas and oil deposits. The Greek and Turkish militaries both engaged in exercises within that part of the sea on Tuesday.

“Turkey will take what is its right in the Mediterranean, in the Aegean and in the Black Sea,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said. “Just as we have no eyes (on) anyone’s territory, sovereignty and interests, we will never compromise on what belongs to us. We are determined to do whatever is necessary in political, economic and military terms.”

Erdogan’s tough words came despite mediation efforts by Germany, whose foreign minister conducted shuttle diplomacy between Athens and Ankara a day earlier. "We invite our interlocutors to get their act together and to avoid mistakes that will lead to their ruin,” he said.

In Athens, meanwhile, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Greece is planning to exercise its legal right to extend its territorial waters along its western coastline, which faces Italy, from six to 12 nautical miles.

The planned extension would not affect the territory at the center of the Greek-Turkish dispute. But the prime minister told parliament that Greece was abandoning decades of “passive” foreign policy. Turkey has warned in the past that an extension of Greek waters to 12 nautical miles in the Aegean Sea, facing the Turkish littoral, would be seen as a reason to declare war on Greece.

Mitsotakis, speaking in parliament, described Turkey's actions as “illegal and provocative” but added that Athens was willing to start talks with Ankara as part of a German-brokered initiative — only if the Turkish seismic surveying work were halted. “Our position is crystal clear and can be summarized in six words: When provocations stop, talks can start,” he said during a debate on the ratification of deals Greece recently made with Italy and Egypt setting out maritime boundaries and Exclusive Economic Zones. Greece’s deal with Egypt in particular has drawn the ire of Turkey.

Lawmakers ratified the Italy deal by majority vote late Wednesday. They also ratified most of the Egypt deal, with a vote on one article remaining on Thursday. The government holds a comfortable majority in parliament, and the article is expected to pass.

Mitsotakis' office said U.S. President Donald Trump phoned the Greek prime minister Wednesday night “to discuss the recent developments in the southeastern Mediterranean.” During the call, Mitsotakis “raised the issue of the destabilizing actions of Turkey that endanger peace and stability in the broader region and test the cohesion of NATO,” his office said.

Greece, he said, was prepared to contribute to de-escalating the situation “on condition Turkey immediately stops its provocative acts.” German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Tuesday warned that “any spark, however small, could lead to a disaster.” His visits to Athens and Ankara came ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Berlin Thursday at which Turkey will be discussed.

After talks with Maas, the foreign ministers of both Greece and Turkey signaled readiness for dialogue but blamed each other for the standoff. The Turkish vessel Oruc Reis has for weeks been carrying out seismic research escorted by Turkish warships. Athens, which says the ship is operating over Greece's continental shelf in an area where it has exclusive rights on potential undersea gas and oil deposits, sent warships to observe and track the Turkish flotilla.

Turkey disputes Greece’s claims, insisting that small Greek islands near the Turkish coast should not be taken into account when delineating maritime boundaries. Ankara accuses Athens of trying to grab an unfair share of the eastern Mediterranean’s resources.

Turkey is also prospecting for hydrocarbons in waters where Cyprus claims exclusive economic rights. “Everyone must see that Turkey is not a country whose patience can be tried, whose determination, capabilities and courage can be tested. If we say we’ll do something we’ll do it and pay the price.,” Erdogan said Wednesday. "If anyone wants to stand before us and face the consequences, they are welcome to. If not, stay out of our way and we will continue with our work.”

The Turkish leader spoke during an anniversary celebration marking the 1071 battle of Manzikert, during which Seljuk Turks — who preceded the Ottoman Turks that later ruled the area — beat Byzantine forces, gaining entry into Anatolia. Greeks see themselves as the cultural heirs of the Byzantine Empire.

Gatopoulos reported from Athens. Elena Becatoros in Athens contributed.

Turkey is becoming a superpower

August 24, 2020

After extensive exploration, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan cheerfully announced on Friday that his country had made the biggest natural gas discovery in its history. The gas discovered in the Black Sea was estimated by 320 billion cubic metres. Erdogan said that production for commercial use could begin in 2023.

“Turkey has realized the greatest natural gas discovery in its history,” Erdogan was reported by Turkish and global mass media saying, stressing that this would help the country become a game-changer in relation to the energy market. “We are determined to solve our energy issue,” he stressed.

Erdogan told his nation that this gas find is a gift from God to improve the Turkish economy and raise living standards in the country. “My Lord has opened the door to unprecedented wealth for us,” he said.

In fact, energy experts believe these gas reserves could reduce the country’s bill imports, which reached $41 billion in 2019, because they usher in Turkey’s independence in this field and this would help stop the drain of foreign currency reserves. Turkey imports its gas mainly from Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran.

Berat Albayrak, the economy minister and Erdogan’s son-in-law, said the Turkish government hopes it will eliminate the country’s current account deficit.

Erdogan himself was enthusiastic about these discoveries and appeared hopeful that the Turkish experts will discover more and more gas. When he declared the news about the gas discovery, he stressed: “We will not stop until we become a net exporter of energy.”

Turkey will not be able to build plants in the deep seawater to get to the gas on its own because it lacks the expertise needed for this job, but so far, it has been able to search for gas without partners and using completely Turkish equipment. After these finds, the Turkish experts and equipment proved that they are trusted and able to do the job perfectly.

During the declaration, Erdogan said that his country had made the discovery without the need to spend millions on outside firms.

“This reserve is actually part of a much bigger source. God willing, much more will come. As a country that depended on the outside for gas for years, we look to the future with more security now,” he added.

Thomas Purdie, a consultant for Wood Mackenzie, said: “This is Turkey’s biggest-ever find by a wide margin, and one of the largest global discoveries of 2020.”

Following these premises, we can say that Turkey is heading towards becoming a superpower as it has been moving towards full independence. It has been spreading its culture across the world and this is very clear in the large number of international tourists who visit Turkey.

Turkey has made significant achievements in the fields of technology and space industry and reached the climax of an economic development as its goods are sought all over the globe and it has now reached the doorstep of energy independence.

The new discovery, however, will take time to reach the market, critics say, leaving the age of energy independence a long way away for Turkey. But they give Ankara leverage while negotiating the renewal of its gas contracts.

They may also help deescalate tensions between Turkey and Greece over Ankara’s hydrocarbon exploration efforts in waters claimed by Greece in the Eastern Mediterranean.

John Bowlus of the Center for Energy and Sustainable Development at Istanbul’s Kadir Has University told TRT: “It’s incredibly significant for Turkey because the find was in the Black Sea, unlike the Eastern Mediterranean, which is riddled with all kinds of geopolitical problems.”

After these “historical” natural gas finds, Ankara has two messages; one for its allies that it is a strong country and they can depend on and the other message for its enemies that it is strong enough to stand alone in any crisis and cannot be easily defied.

Source: Middle East Monitor.
Link: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200824-turkey-is-becoming-superpower/.

Greece plans military exercise amid dispute with Turkey

August 24, 2020

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece said Monday that it will conduct a navy and air force exercise in an area of the eastern Mediterranean where Turkey is prospecting for oil and gas in an area as the neighboring countries remain locked in a dispute over offshore energy rights.

Authorities said the live-fire exercises would start Tuesday southeast of the Greek island of Crete and end Thursday. Turkey has a research ship escorted by warships surveying for oil and gas exploration in the area and said Sunday that the work would continue through Aug. 27.

The Turkish government disputes Greece’s claim to exclusive rights in the waters where the research vessel is working, arguing that islands should not be included in calculating sea boundaries between countries.

The United States and the European Union so far have backed Greece in the dispute. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas is due in Athens and Ankara on Tuesday to try and revive deescalation talks between senior Greek and Turkish officials, an initiative started in July but broken off by Turkey several weeks later.

Pakistan sanctions Taliban to avoid global finance blacklist

August 22, 2020

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan issued sweeping financial sanctions against Afghanistan’s Taliban, just as the militant group is in the midst of U.S.-led peace process in the neighboring country. The orders, which were made public late on Friday, identified dozens of individuals, including the Taliban’s chief peace negotiator Abdul Ghani Baradar and several members of the Haqqani family, including Sirajuddin, the current head of the Haqqani network and deputy head of the Taliban.

The list of sanctioned groups included others besides the Taliban and were in keeping with a five-year-old United Nations resolution sanctioning the Afghan group and freezing their assets. The orders were issued as part of Pakistan's efforts to avoid being blacklisted by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which monitors money laundering and tracks terrorist groups' activities, according to security officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Last year the Paris-based group put Islamabad on a grey list. Until now only Iran and North Korea are blacklisted, which severely restricts a country's international borrowing capabilities. Pakistan is trying to get off the grey list, said the officials.

There was no immediate response from the Taliban, but many of the group's leaders are known to own businesses and property in Pakistan. Many of Taliban leaders, including those heading the much-feared Haqqani network, have lived in Pakistan since the 1980s, when they were part of the Afghan mujahedeen and allies of the United States to end the 10-year invasion of Afghanistan by the former Soviet Union. It ended in February, 1989.

Pakistan has denied giving sanctuary to the Taliban following their ouster in 2001 by the U.S.-led coalition but both Washington and Kabul routinely accused Islamabad of giving them a safe haven. Still it was Pakistan's relationship with the Taliban that Washington eventually sought to exploit to move its peace negotiations with the insurgent movement forward. America signed a peace deal with the Taliban on Feb. 29. The deal is intended to end Washington's nearly 20 years of military engagement in Afghanistan, and has been touted as Afghanistan's best hope for a peace after more than four decades of war.

But even as Washington has already begun withdrawing its soldiers, efforts to get talks started between Kabul's political leadership and the Taliban have been stymied by delays in a prisoner release program.

The two sides are to release prisoners - 5,000 by the government and 1,000 by the Taliban - as a good will gesture ahead of talks. Both sides blame the other for the delays. The timing of Pakistan's decision to issue the orders implementing the restrictive sanctions could also be seen as a move to pressure the Taliban into a quick start to the intra-Afghan negotiations.

Kabul has defied a traditional jirga or council's order to release the last Taliban it is holding, saying it wants 22 Afghan commandos being held by the Taliban freed first. As well as the Taliban, the orders also target al-Qaida and the Islamic State affiliate which has carried out deadly attacks in both Pakistan and Afghanistan.

They also take aim at outlawed Pakistani groups like Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), thousands of whom are believed by the U.N. to be hiding in remote regions of Afghanistan. The TTP has declared war on Pakistan, carrying out one of the worst terrorist attacks in the country in 2014 killing 145 children and their teachers at an army public school in northwest Pakistan.

The orders also take aim at outlawed anti-Indian groups considered allied with the country's security services.

Associated Press Writer Asim Tanvir from Multan, Pakistan, contributed to this report.

Turkish navy, air force drills in Aegean Sea amid tensions

August 22, 2020

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish air and naval forces conducted joint training exercises in the Aegean Sea, the country’s Defense Ministry said Saturday, amid strains with neighbor Greece over hydrocarbon discoveries.

F-16 fighter jets took part alongside warships to “enhance, maintain and improve the operational capability of joint inter-forces operations,” the ministry tweeted. The announcement came as NATO members Turkey and Greece are facing off in the eastern Mediterranean Sea over gas and oil exploration and a day after Turkey declared significant gas discoveries in the Black Sea.

Two weeks ago, Turkey sent a warship-escorted research vessel to prospect in waters where Greece claims exclusive rights to the underlying seabed. Athens responded by sending its own warships to the area and placing its military on alert. France also sent warships and planes to join drills with Greek forces.

Greek officials said Friday that the United Arab Emirates would also dispatch fighter jets to the southern Greek island of Crete for joint training next week. Relations between Greece and Turkey have traditionally been tense. The two have come to the brink of war three times since the mid-1970s, including once over drilling exploration rights in the Aegean Sea that separates the two countries.

French relations with Turkey are strained over Ankara’s involvement in Libya’s civil war. The UAE is a bitter rival of Turkey in a broader struggle over political Islam, while Abu Dhabi and Ankara back rival factions in Libya.

Rival Libya Govts Announce Ceasefire, Elections

Friday, 21 August, 2020

Libya's warring rival governments announced in separate statements Friday that they would cease all hostilities and organize nationwide elections soon, an understanding swiftly welcomed by the United Nations and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

The statements were signed by Fayez al-Sarraj, head of the Government of National Accord based in the capital Tripoli, and Aguila Saleh, speaker of the eastern-based parliament.

Sarraj, who heads the Presidential Council, said parliamentary and presidential elections would be held in March.

Both statements called for demilitarizing the city of Sirte and the Jufra area in central Libya, and a joint police force to be responsible for security there.

Both administrations also called for oil revenues to flow into the bank account of the National Oil Corporation outside Libya.

The announcements came amid fears of an escalation in the more than 9-year-old conflict.

The UN Support Mission in Libya welcomed both statements, and called for the expulsion of all foreign forces and mercenaries in Libya.

Among the first to react to Friday’s announcement was al-Sisi, who welcomed the ceasefire declarations.

"I welcome statements by Libya's Presidential Council and the House of Representatives calling for a ceasefire and halting military operations in all Libyan territory," Sisi said in a tweet.

Source: Asharq al-Awsat.
Link: https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2461251/rival-libya-govts-announce-ceasefire-elections.